This Is Who We Are, Enter The Three New Shinigami!
by ShizumaBlueflame
Summary: Follow the adventures of 3 young Shinigami recruits. My first try, bear with me XD
1. This Is Who We Are!

_**Prologue - This Is Who We Are**_

The sun beat hard on the citizens of the 72nd District of Eastern Rukongai. The afterlife was not as grand as it seemed when they had first arrived. As they were not nobility, they did not have the luxuries the rich indulged themselves in, and spent most of their days wandering about, sleeping, eating, and repeating all of that day in and day out.

Along the outskirts of the city, a lone boy knelt at the edge of a river, bending down to take a drink. Yawning and stretching, he picked himself up as he'd finished, and headed for a path barely visible in a clearing between the nearby trees. He ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it out, and the other dangled loosely at his side as he walked slowly back home. It was bright and hot, but the shade cast by the forest offered some protection against it, much to the boy's relief.

Moments later, Shizuma reached the small, worn-out hut he called home. Rubbing his forehead, he prepared himself for another long and uneventful day. Maybe a bit of sleep would do him some good. He stepped inside, and called out to -

"W-Wh…?!?! AAAAAARRRRGGGGGGGHHH!!!!!!!"

"HAAAH!!!"

"H-Hey, w-wait…oof!...STOP!!!!...ow…!"

THUD!

Shizuma fell fast and landed hard, lying sprawled on the floor as his attacker towered over him with a devious look in his eye. "Fool! You've let your guard down!" the giant barked. "And that's why we're stuck here!" Floor-ridden Shizuma clutched his head and groaned. "Aw, gimme a break, Shugo…hey, Hikaru…Hikaru, where are ya…?"

Behind the tall Shugo, a figure hidden in the shadows was stretched across a bed, apparently sleeping. Shizuma walked over to it and poked it in the back. "Hikaru…wake up!" The sleeping boy finally woke, moaning. The provoking Shizuma poked him again.

"Hikar – oof!"

He was interrupted a second time as a pillow connected with his stomach. "Ow…hey…" Hikaru leaned over sluggishly to grab the pillow, then covered his head with it. "Just shut up…! Let me sleep!!!" Shizuma snorted. "Aw, c'mon, Hikaru, you've been – ow!" The pillow found its mark a second time. He sighed, and yawned. "Hikaru…what's for lunch today…? I'm hungry…"

Shugo left the room, and Hikaru finally stood up from the bed, scratching his head. "…nng…"

-

An hour later, the three of them sat around a small, dirty, wooden table. A loaf of bread, a tiny chicken, and a jug of water was all that was set on it, but Shizuma's face lit up at the sight of it. Shugo gave him a playful shove, and reached for a slice of bread. "If you hadn't gotten us kicked out, we could've had better than this, you know… - " he started, exchanging sly grins with Hikaru knowingly. Shizuma's hand rushed from the bread plate to his ear, clamping it shut. "I don't wanna hear it! Every time, you go on and on about - !"

" – AAAAAAAAAIEE!!!!!

"H-HELP!!!! …aaaaAARRGGH!!"

The three of them from in shock. The screaming grew louder and louder, until a deafening silence blanketed over the noise, waking them up. The youngest Shizuma shuddered. "N-No…is it…a Hollow…?!" Hikaru made for the door, the grin long gone from his face. "Move it, stupid," he snapped. "You know it is. We gotta go." He kicked the door open, causing the weak structure to sway. Shugo grabbed the shivering boy by the scruff of his neck, and as a flailing Shizuma tried in vain to protest, dashed after their friend.

The three friends (two, with Shizuma stuck in a headlock in Shugo's arm, frantically trying to escape) ran hurriedly around the village, trying to locate the source of the screams. "Damnit!," the biggest growled, running faster. "Is it finished?!" Hikaru opened his mouth to reply, but stopped, skidding to a halt. His eyes widened at the sight before them.

A massive gorilla-like shape bent over a mass of bodies. Several houses around it lay in ruin. It turned its horrible masked face to look at the three boys, and laughed maniacally. "I'm sorry, but I've just eaten…I don't think I have room for more…eHEHEHEH!"

Shizuma fell to the floor on his feet, knees shaking madly. "Y-You monster…!!" The Hollow's evil smile grew wider. Shugo pulled the smaller boy back. "I'll keep him busy, you and Hikaru find a way to bring this demon to its knees…GO!" Picking the boy up and throwing him away, big Shugo walked up to the Hollow. "Hey, ape man, I'm your opponent now. Let's see how good you are at fighting people stronger than you."

Hikaru grabbed the coughing Shizuma and ran for cover behind what was once a house. "Alright, we have to find something we can use…Shizuma, you ready?" The other boy nodded. "Right…i-it's up to us to s-stop it until the shinigami get here…!" Hikaru smiled grimly and pat him on the back of his head. "You smart person. Now, let's go!"

The smarter boy glanced around and picked up a broken pole, while the other, still in shock, jabbed at the ground until he finally grabbed hold of a rock with his shivering fingers.

Meanwhile, Shugo was pushing himself to the limit as he barely avoided the Hollow's punishing fists. Gasping for breath, he clutched the gaping wound on his chest, struggling to keep the blood in. The Hollow laughed again. "This is amusing! You actually think you stand a chance!" Shugo growled. "Just shut up…"

Hikaru didn't waste any time. Seeing his friend in distress, he ran straight for the Hollow as it turned its back, and, leaping high into the air, somehow managed to latch himself onto the spirit's back. Roaring, it reached its massive arms behind its head and tried to throw the boy off. As the world spun wildly about him, Hikaru dazedly threw his weapon over the Hollow's head.

He had not miscalculated. Shugo grabbed the pole as it fell and jumped, ramming it straight into King Kong's mask. A piercing scream shook the village, and Hikaru was flung off by the flailing demon and hurtled right into his bigger friend.

Shizuma's knees knocked together as he watched the spectacle. "C-C'mon…m-move…!" He tried to stand up, and, feeling for the rock still in his hand, stepped slowly towards the rampaging Hollow. Gulping, he managed to convince his legs to break into a run. Seeing his two friends struggling to get up, he urged himself to finish what they had started. Hopefully, it wouldn't take much longer for the soul reapers to arrive.

Out of pure instinct, his arm shot forward before him, the tiny rock flying like a bullet. Fate seemed to smile upon the poor boy as the rock somehow hit the crack Shugo had carved on the Hollow's mask. It screamed even louder now, and fell to its knees. It had only taken that much more to cause it so much pain.

The two others finally managed to take a stand. Shugo smiled proudly. "We've got it!" Shizuma still shook with fear. "S-So much blood…" Hikaru shook his head. "It won't be over until they get here…"

As he said those words, something passed them overheard, too fast for them to see. The next thing the three friends knew, the Hollow was disintegrating, still screaming that horrible scream as it faded, and a group of shinigami stood where amidst the rubble, most of them looking bored. One of them, who seemed like the leader, stood forward to speak.

"You, the citizens of Western Rukongai, District 72, may rest at ease. The threat has now been terminated. Please leave the mess to the Soul Reapers."

The three boys blinked harmoniously. It had been rough, tough, and pretty painful to boot, but now, it looked like it would end well after all…


	2. We'll Make It Through Together Somehow

_**Chapter 1 – We'll Make It Through Together Somehow**_

Seireitei looked nothing like they had expected. The place was magnificent, not at all like the poorer 72nd District.

Shizuma chuckled contentedly. His life was finally looking up. Only moments later, would he accomplish his dreams of becoming -

"Shizuma!"

The boy turned, once again, to find himself looking at Shugo's massive frame. "Hey, big guy, how's your life goin'?"

Hikaru joined them, appearing from out of nowhere. "You don't need to look so smug, Shizuma, we all got the invitation."

Shizuma's smile stretched a bit further. "That's great!! We can all be –"

"We won't necessarily be put in the same squad, idiot…"

"Oh…"

"…doesn't mean we won't be seeing each other, moron."

"Hey…"

Hikaru looked up into the sun. "Nice weather. Never noticed the sky was this nice." The other two followed suit, and nodded in agreement. "So much has changed today. The two of you had better not screw this up. We gotta make it, alright?" Once again, Shizuma and Shugo nodded.

"Good. Then let's go tell them we're ready." Hikaru yawned. "Good luck, guys…"

Shizuma whooped. "YEE-HAW!" Shugo grinned, and raised his fist in the air. Hikaru, in turn, raised his, and, last, Shizuma brought his up as well. Then, each of them parted to their respective assigned testing areas.

-

The youngest was the most nervous out of the three, as expected. Knocking timidly on the door of the 4th Squad building, Shizuma swallowed, feeling a burning sensation in his throat. This would decide how he would live the rest of his life from here on out. He only had one chance. As the door slowly opened, he held his breath and walked in.

_So far so good_. He quickly inspected the room. It took the form of a kind of dojo, save the balconies to the left and right. The only light which helped him see anything came from rafters above his head and lining the ceiling.

Suddenly, a voice wafted from behind the further wall. "Welcome…" it said soothingly.

The nervousness inside Shizuma suddenly vanished at the call of the voice. He had expected his examiner to be gruff, harsh, and punishing, but this voice…it made him forget his life was riding on this one test. "Come on in, it beckoned." The boy caught sight of a sliding door at the far end, and quickened his pace. It only took a few moments to reach it, and he pushed it open without hesitation.

A young girl sat in the center of this next room, which was considerably smaller than the last. _She's real pretty…_ Shizuma thought to himself, blushing. _No, wait! I can't forget what I'm here for…!_

"Um…excuse me…I'm Shizuma, and I'm looking for, uh… - "

The girl smiled. "Shizuma Honou, Western Rukongai, District 72. Invited to the Gotei 13 along with 2 other boys in honor of their brave performance in the face of a Hollow. I, Furi Ariake, will watch over you throughout the course of your test."

Shizuma chuckled nervously. "H-Ha…uh…you're not pullin' my leg, are ya…?" The girl smiled again. "Whenever you are ready, we will begin right away." The boy continued to stare in disbelief for another half minute, then shook himself. "Got it…I'm ready now…let's go!"

Ariake nodded. "This way," she said softly, and led him back to the first room.

The two of them took places across from each other in the middle. "First, I need to test your level of reiatsu," the examiner said. Shizuma blinked. "Reia-what?" The girl giggled, and he felt his face redden. "I need to see how strong your spiritual power is." "Oh," he replied. "Uh…how do you do that?"

The girl just kept on smiling. "It's easier for me to sense your reiatsu when you're in a state of dire panic and release it subconsciously." Shizuma scratched his head. "Wait, so all you have to do is… - hey, what?! State of panic?!?! I don't think I'm – AAAAH!!!"

Shizuma barely ducked in time as Ariake quickly swiped her sword at him in an about-face. The boy had barely time to catch sight of it sliding out of its sheath. "H-Hang on! I don't think I'm ready after a – WHOA!" He jumped back, but this blow did not miss, and soon the front of his ragged shirt was stained in red as he tried desperately to avoid the death god's unwavering attack. "P-Please stop!!" he cried, as another cut soon lined his cheek.

The girl stopped smiling, but did not stop. "You're almost there. Try harder!"

Shizuma did not try to listen. "My life's already flashing before my eyes, I can't push it anymo - " Ariake lashed out once more. The boy no longer felt any strength in his legs. _Some test_, he thought, as he tightened his body and prepared to be killed. _Goodbye, Hikaru. Goodbye, Shugo. And goodbye to you too, scary examiner girl. I've lived my afterlife without regrets._ He shielded his eyes.

But it never came. The sword hovered dangerously close to his throat, the tip grazing his chin. Shizuma's eyes widened in shock, and almost dropped his jaw had he not realized that, if he did, he'd lose it. Ariake smiled and nodded, then finally let her sword arm drop to her side. "Did you feel that, the moment Gojuuchimei nearly struck you?" The boy nodded. "Yeah…! What was that?" he asked. _And did she just **name** her sword?! She may be pretty, but she's weeeiiiird…_

His examiner smiled. "I think you already know the answer to that question. In the future, you will learn to release it on command rather than instinctively, but that will come with time."

"Your spirit energy is sufficient. You pass the first test."

Shizuma groaned. "There's more than one?" The girl giggled again, and he felt uncomfortable. "C'mon now. Are you ready?" The boy gave her a dispirited thumbs up. "Great! On to the real test!" Shizuma opened his mouth to argue, but stopped. Instead, he felt curious. "Uh…Ariake-san…how long does the soul reaper training usually take…?" The girl stopped for a moment, thinking, then finally replied, "Oh, only about…6 years or so…"

"WHAT?! 6 YEARS?!?! THAT'S - !" The girl smiled. "Don't worry. With the training we're going to put you through, you'll be done in about…a week."

Shizuma was ready to complain again, but dismissed the idea. 7 days compared to…a lot more…besides, it couldn't be that bad..."Alright…I'm really ready now. Bring it on!"

Furi then motioned for him to follow, as she led them to another room on the east side. She slid the door open, told him to wait, then went inside. Moments later, she emerged. "Ok, it's ready. Now go inside on your own. Don't choose wrong."

"That's all I have to do?"

"Yup."

"But wait, don't choose the wrong what - ?"

"Hurry up!"

"…h-hey, don't push me…! Ok! Sheesh…"

The doors slammed shut eerily as Shizuma entered the strange room. "So it's not just a broom closet after all," he thought aloud.

In fact, the "broom closet" took the shape of a giant grassland. The only difference was, grasslands don't usually have soul slayers protruding out of the ground every few feet, name tags included. ""Don't choose wrong,"" he mimicked childishly. "Kinda hard here…"

The boy wandered about, passing row upon row of swords. "How am I supposed to know which one to pick?" Shizuma began to read the name tags on a few of them. ""Gyuutou, the Cleaver?" Sounds kinda plain…" ""Kyuuketsuki, the Vampire"…creepy…" ""Enishida, the…Broom…what the hell?!""

Shizuma sighed. This second test wasn't doing much good for his confidence. How was he supposed to know which to choose? _This had better not be one of those, "Open your heart and you will find what you desire" situations. This had really, really, better not be…oh no…_

The boy groaned as he noticed one of the blades in front of him glowed. _No, no, no…_he reached his hand forward and, grasping the hilt, pulled it free from its stand. He bent down to read the tag. ""Seisuiki, the Purifier" …better than "Broom Stick", I guess…well, I'm done here…"

-

The 10th Squad examiner applauded. "Well done, Hikaru. Your reiatsu level highly exceeds the required base amount, and you've already found your zanpakuto. Now, are you ready for the next test?"

Hikaru nodded. "Anytime." _You guys…don't screw it up…I don't want to have to cook for you any more…_

The burlesque man unsheathed his sword. "Draw it now, and show me how well you can adapt." The shinigami-in-training did as he was told. "You won't be disappointed." Hikaru said, his face sharpening. His muscles tensed, gripping his sword tightly, and he calmly let his energy flow into the blade. The man's mouth opened slightly. "At this stage…amazing…"

His student raised his weapon and pointed it at the teacher. "Please don't hold anything back. Now…_dasu_…!"

-

Shizuma found the door again after a half hour. "Geez…it took me longer to find the starting point than my sword…" Shaking his head, he pushed it ajar. "Hey, Furi-chan! I've found it! I hope…"

-

"Huff…huff…whew…man, this is actually pretty fun…"

Shugo took a fighting stance, keeping his sword out in front of him. His forehead was dripping in sweat, but a funny smile lit his face. The time he would spend as part of 11th Squad seemed like it would be more enjoyable than he had expected. "Alright, Ranmyaku," he muttered, stroking the edge of his sword, "let's you and I wrap this up quick and get the real party started. Go!"

-

"HAAAAAH!"

"WHOA!"

"Quit running! You're never going to improve like this!"

"I-I'm tryin! I'll get this eventually!"

"Put more power into your strokes!"

"Not with you trying to cut my head off every time I try, I can't!"

"HAAAH!!!"

"HEY!"

The two of them exchanged blow after blow. Shizuma was beginning to tire, but the girl looked as fresh as she had from the start. "Ok, stop for a moment." Shizuma breathed deeply. "Final - WH - ?!" Ariake's punishing blade cut another gash across his chest. "Th-That's not fair!" Fuki shook her head and sighed at her hapless pupil. "Rule number one. Never let your guard down!" Shizuma heaved his sword at her, and she parried it effortlessly. The zanpakuto swung around clumsily and got caught in the ground. "Oh, that's just nice, tell me **after** you cut me down…" he panted.

The 4th Squad examiner shook her head again. "Maybe you're not cut out for this after all… - " she started. The boy spluttered. "What?! NO! I can't stop here!!"

"Then give it your all. Save your breath for fighting instead." She threw back at him. Shizuma wiped his face with the back of his hand. "Alright…aw, man, there's gotta be a faster way to – oh no…oh…no…" He stepped backwards slowly as Fuki smiled and nodded. "Ok. You asked for it!" "N-No, that's not what I meant, no - !!!" "Too late," she giggled. "Stand tall, Gojuuchimei, teach him a lesson!"

"…crap…!"

-

"Phew. That went better than expected." Hikaru was tired, but content. He stretched and yawned, relaxing on the wooden balcony floor. Shugo suddenly materialized from around a corner, and joined his friend, laying himself down. "How did it go?" he inquired. Hikaru waved him off. "Wait til Shizuma gets out, then we talk about it." "Say, where is the little man anyways?" "Not done, apparently." "Aaaaaah…"

-

"…urk…"

"Never drop your sword! Haaaaah!"

"!!! …nng…"

"Stay focused and relaxed!"

"…nnnnng…haaaah!"

"Faster! More effort into your slashes! Don't lose your stance!"

"…aaaaarrghh…! Shut - !"

"What was that?"

"…n-never mind…hraaaaggh!"

Shizuma's zanpakuto went sailing out of his hands, and clattered softly on the ground as it landed. Coughing and trying to get his breath back, he made a run for his sword as he barely avoided getting cut again. "You've been cut 28 times. Feeling it yet?" his teacher asked, meaning no ill will. The boy did not relent. "Haaaah…this is…cough - ! …gaaaah…i-it's nothing! It'll take more than this to stop me…haaaa…cough…"

Fuki let him rest for a moment. "You're not going to improve unless you know how to master your sword! These are the basics to fighting Hollows! C'mon, Shizuma put all your heart into it if you want to become a shinigami so much!" He was finally able to suppress his coughs, and spoke more clearly. "Easy for you to say…you've been in the business for, what, a coupla centuries?" "It has nothing to do with that…listen, all you have to do is believe in yours - "

Shizuma groaned. "Again with that stuff. What, first you _name_ your sword, and as if that wasn't weird enough, now you're probably gonna go telling me that I should believe in my sword.

"Oh yeah, that's gonna help when I'm getting HACKED INTO PIECES! What kinda - "

"…sure. Whatever you want. Tell that to your buddies back in Rukongai."

" - brilliant person you are! I would never have thought of that on my own, great plan, I'll try it…"

"Hurry up."

"Hang on…uh…ok…c'mon, sword…glow again…do something…please…?"

Fuki sighed. "The only way you can get into the 4th Squad by your standards now is to call your zanpakuto by its name."

"Haha, ok, now we can be crazy together - "

"I'm you'll enjoy telling that one a lot to - "

" - but what do I know?"

Shizuma scratched his head. "Its name…its name…ok…Seisuiki…"

"Now say something to it."

"I don't see how that's going to help… - "

"I predict that you're going to find yourself in rags again."

"Ok, ok…uh…ok, Seisuiki…dance."

"…"

"Why're you giving me that look? I said something to it, like you told me to."

"…_call_ it…"

"Uh…Seisuiki…c'mere, boy…"

"…you're hopeless…"

Shizuma slapped his forehead. "What the hell am I supposed to do then?!" "Call it out," Fuki repeated. "Open your heart to it."

"Oh sure, you couldn't have told me that in the first place…"

"…ah, wearing rags and eating dirt…"

"Cut it out! I'm…unng…this is stupid…I'm opening my heart to it…here goes…"

The boy tried to relax his body. He closed his eyes for a moment, and looked like he was concentrating, hard. His examiner waited patiently for a few minutes, then, noticing her student's face twitch, asked excitedly, "…did you find something?!"

Shizuma stirred, and opened his eyes slowly. "…yes…I've found…" he said flatly, "…that you are most definitely insane… - "

"Shizuma!"

"Furi-chan, I don't understand… - !"

"Shut up and try harder! You won't get it if your mind is clouded. Now concentrate!"

Shizuma nearly tore his hair out in frustration. "You keep telling me that, but what is it exactly I'm supposed to do?" The girl sighed, brushed her hair aside, and spoke as calmly as she possibly could. "Find a good reason for your being here and focus on that. Then, call out to your sword."

The boy was desperate to try anything by now. "Once more…" _My reason for being here…is to become a soul reaper…_his sword glowed for a moment_…to help save lives…_his sword glowed brighter still_…because…that is my dream…_

Seisuiki vibrated intensely for a moment, and Shizuma's eyes lit up, but then, it came to an abrupt stop. "Aw man…I'm never gonna get this - " he started, but was interrupted by a voice from behind. _Are you truly ready for what lies ahead?_ "Wh-What's goin on…?!" Shizuma cried. Suddenly, the room was pitch-dark. He couldn't see anything, and couldn't hear anything, except for the voice.

_What is it that you desire…?_

"…uh…pancakes - "

_What is your goal here?_

"…to become a soul reaper…"

_Is your resolve set?_

"Come again?"

_Do you have any doubts about your goal?_

"…no…I don't have any doubts…"

_Then call my name._

"S-Seisuiki…"

_Idiot…do it right…_

"What…? You told me call…wait, you're serious? You're my - "

_Call me again. Focus on what you need most now, and call me…_

"Ok…Seisuiki…what I need most…food…"

_For the love of –_

"One more time! Uh…man, I'd think better if I had some light - "

_What's wrong?_

"…I-I think I got it…here it goes…"

_Don't hesitate. Pour everything you got into it._

"Gotcha. Now…Seisuiki…shine!"

-

Shugo yawned first. "Oh, jeez, how much longer is he gonna take…?" Hikaru checked the sky. "Well…considering it's Shizuma we're talking about here…it hasn't been _that_ long…"

The big boy slammed his fist on the ground. "Damnit, Hikaru, it's **night** and he still hasn't finished!" His more patient friend gave him a pat on his back. "At most, he'll take a coupla days…I hope…" Shugo shook his head. "That's enough! I don't care if he fails the damned test, I'm going to go get myself some food - "

"Hey, wait up for me!"

Shizuma hurried over to his friends, waving and grinning. "I'm done! I've passed! I'm a shinigami now, haha!" Holding out his arms to show them his new uniform, he grabbed both by the chest and pulled them into a hug. "YA-HOO!!!"

Shugo shivered, and feigned death, falling to his knees and screamed excessively in an agonized tone. "Never…do that again…" he sighed, as he got to his feet and put his smaller friend into a headlock." The middle one just smiled. "Enough, you idiots…let's just go eat…" Shugo dropped Shizuma and led the party. "Finally!"

"Man…I'm hungry too…yawn…hey, so how did you guys do on the test? Hard, huh?"

"No. I got 11th Seat, actually."

"Aaaaah...Hikaru, you beat me by a spot…12th Seat…"

"Wh-What…?!"

"Shizuma, what place did you get?"

"Y-You don't need to know…let's just eat already, I'm starved!"

"Haha…what ever you say, little man…"


End file.
